Endoscopy

Clinical excellence

This section is written as a narrative in the first person as I feel that the heart and soul of being a good doctor cannot and should not be reduced to a series of bullet points……

My approach to professional excellence is simple.
I treat people as I would like members of my own family to be treated.
I do the very best I can (given the difficult circumstances we face in the NHS) for every patient referred to me.

I am approachable, friendly, and try to establish empathy early in a consultation.
I believe in “getting it right first time”. This means more than getting the diagnosis right. It means finding out what the patient hopes for and expects from treatment, and explaining the limitations and risks of surgery.
Having explained treatment options in terms I hope the patient can understand, I check they have understood it.
My policy is complete openness and honesty.
I give copies of my GP letters to patients and parents as a matter of course.

I keep up to date, and I learn from my patients.
I know my own strengths and limitations.
I don’t hesitate to discuss difficult problems with colleagues, and refer on when necessary.

Though lucky enough to have “a good pair of hands” I always strive to improve my surgical skills. In theatre, I am a meticulous operator, though not one of the quickest. For emergencies, I am always available when on-call, and do not hesitate to come in even when not on-call if there is a problem with one of my patients. In clinics and in theatre, I stay as long as it takes.

I am grateful to all the colleagues I worked with during my nine years of excellent postgraduate training in ENT- including over 20 individual consultants in seven busy departments. This gave me broad clinical experience and a sound basis for further professional development.

I am now in my 22nd year of independent practice, and have built on this foundation a wealth of clinical experience and judgement, learned mostly from my patients, to whom I am most grateful for entrusting me with their lives and wellbeing.

Clinical governance, appraisal & audit

Committee member, ENT-UK Clinical Audit and Practice Advisory Group

NHS and BUPA clinical governance and outcomes assessment participant

Contribute data to National Audits organised by the Royal College of Surgeons and ENT UK

Present audit results locally, nationally & internationally

Annual appraisal by NHS Trust scheme for Consultants since inception

Track record of acting on audit results – gave up using laser for tonsillectomy & returned to conventional instruments following audit which showed unacceptably high level of secondary haemorrhages

Published results of audit of stapes surgery and BAHA (bone anchored hearing aid) show results equal to best published figures internationally

Chapter 8. The effect on symptoms of facial pain and headache of medical treatment and operations designed to remove endoscopically documented areas of mucosal contact between the turbinates and nasal septum.

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